2021-2022 PLAYER & GOALIE OF THE WEEK #16

The Brotherly Bash Brawl Blowout ™

Vatrano answers by scoring twice in the 1st (14, 15), one on the PP. 2-0 Bandits.

Lindholm (18) scores to make it 2-1, but Guentzel (26) gets the two goal lead back on the PP. 3-1 Bandits.

2nd period – Vatrano (16) completes the hat trick on the PP and makes it 4-1 Bandits!

3rd period – the Jagoffs seem poised to mount a comeback when Matthews (42) scores on the PP to cut the lead to 4-2… but Vasi holds court and stands tall the rest of the way as Doughty tosses one into the empty net to seal the deal on the Bandits 5-2 victory!

Doughty with the 4 point night (1G, 3A) and Vatrano with the Hat Trick.

Shot attempts were even at 52, Rangers has a few more go on goal, but the scoring chances were 2-1 in favor of Bathgate, 24 to 12! And 2 for 4 on the PP didn’t hurt.

STARS (all BGR)
1. Donskoi 2 goals, 1 assist
2. Hertl 1 goal, 1 assist
3. Hagel 3 assists

Early on it was a bit physical and the Bandits Chiarot got a little carried away and goes off for cross checking. While off, Tavares and the Rangers put one past Vasilevskiy for a 1-0 lead. Then the Rangers get another PP opportunity, but no dice said the Bandits. But the Rangers definitely took the play to Brentwood with 15 shots and the V-Man, but he was really good. The Bandits offense was a bit stiffled, netting only 6 shots on Georgiev – and he stopped them all!

30 seconds before the 1st period ended however, Provorov was called for a very questionable hooking penalty. And of course it carried over to the 2nd period and with 12 seconds left in the PP, Horvat scorers to tie the game. So it’s 1-1, both on the PP. However, Pastrnak teams up with Panarin and McCann to break the tie just past the midpoint in the game and with 37 seconds left in the 2nd, Ritchie solves the V-Man and the Rangers head to the 2nd intermission up 3-1! The level of attack shifted totally in the 2nd with the Rangers held to 5 SOGs and Brentwood 10, but Georgiev had the bigger blockers (or so it seemed).

So, with the big game on the line, Ritchie starts the 3rd period drawing one of those mystery hooking penalties. But the Rangers were able to kill it off. Then Kopitar goes off for a clear high sticking call at the 8 minute mark, but the Bandits kill it too. But as the we pass the final 10 minute mark, Tavares makes a play for #1 star as he takes a Pionk pass and slaps hard past a lunging Vasilevskiy and the Rangers take a big 4-1 lead! But just under 4 to go, and the Rangers are in control when Sanheim clears one OVER the glass for a delay of game penalty. Brentwood trying to get back in it, scores a PP goal 14 seconds into the penalty when the work Oshie free for a screened slapper and it’s 4-2. Then the Bandits call Vasilevskiy off the ice with a minute 40 to go and the Rangers come up with 5 blocks and 2 saves and hang on for the big 4-2 win!
Brentwood blasted 63 shots, 31 on goal, 26 were blocked by black and blue Rangers. And the Bandits control the faceoff circle getting 65.5 percent of them – Kopitar had 17 wins – but Georgiev stood tall. Nedeljkovic was all smiles for his teammate!

STARS (all BGR)
1. Tavares 2 goals
2. Ritchie 1 goal
3. Pastrnak 1 goal

Alamo 2 California 1

1-Lehner
2-Jenner
3-Stamkos

Shootout -Draisaitl scores, and LA doesn’t. Alamo wins the shootout.

Alamo 4 LA 3

1-Boeser
2-Wheeler
3-Stamkos

Scoring Summary
Per Time Str Team
1 :26 EV PIT Norris (23), assisted by Beauvillier (10) and Ferraro (8)
1 7:36 EV PIT Norris (24), assisted by Ferraro (9) and Beauvillier (11)
1 17:02 EV PIT Laine (7), assisted by Hague (9) and Stutzle (8)
2 11:13 EV JAG Bergeron (20), assisted by Ovechkin (11) and Lindholm (14)
2 15:03 EV JAG Tkachuk (12), assisted by Staal (9) and Ekholm (16)
3 18:48 EV PIT Cirelli (6), assisted by Labanc (7) and Stutzle (9)

Star 1: PIT Norris 2 G
Star 2: PIT Cirelli 1 G
Star 3: PIT Laine 1 G

GWG: Patrik Laine

Notables: PIT Bobrovsky 31 saves
JAG None

Instead, we take an outright slumber as we’re destroyed 4-0. The Bathgate 3 stars would make amazing Triple Word Scores in Scrabble.

Scoring Summary
Per Time Str Team
2 18:06 EV BGR Ritchie (13), assisted by Zibanejad (23)
3 4:53 EV BGR Buchnevich (15), assisted by Zibanejad (24) and Ritchie (22)
3 8:45 EV BGR Zibanejad (20), assisted by Buchnevich (18) and Oleksiak (13)
3 16:29 EV BGR McCann (11), unassisted

Star 1: BGR Nedeljkovic 39 saves
Star 2: BGR Zibanejad 1 G, 3 Pts
Star 3: BGR Buchnevich 1 G, 2 Pts

GWG: Nick Ritchie

Notables: BGR Nedeljkovic 39 saves
JAG Matthews 18 faceoffs won

Scoring Summary
Per Time Str Team
1 13:19 EV JAG Kaprizov (30), assisted by Matthews (29) and Letang (45)
2 :17 EV BWB Martinez (14), assisted by Pavelski (22) and Guentzel (29)
2 3:59 EV BWB Horvat (18), assisted by Doughty (22) and Rielly (29)
3 10:07 EV JAG Lindholm (18), assisted by Weber (10) and Ovechkin (12)
3 19:08 EV JAG Matthews (42), assisted by Svechnikov (35) and Kaprizov (28)

Star 1: JAG Kaprizov 1 G, 2 Pts
Star 2: JAG Matthews 1 G, 2 Pts
Star 3: JAG Lindholm 1 G

GWG: Auston Matthews

Notables: BWB Vasilevskiy 31 saves
JAG None

LA comes out a different team in the 2nd, getting an early goal from Chandler Stephenson and another from Aleksander Barkov midway through the period, and the Danes take a 2-0 lead into the third.

The momentum shifts early in the 3rd on a goal by Eeli Tolvanen, and Alamo has the better of play in the 3rd. But Shesterkin holds off Alamo, and the Great Danes pull out a 2-1 victory, with Shesterkin’s 32 saves earning him the game’s #1 star.

Similar to the game versus Alamo, the Danes come out a different team in the 2nd and tie the game on goals by Barkov and Stephenson. But a minute after LA ties the game, Fiala beats Shesterkin again on a long shot from the point, and the Sharks regain the lead 3-2 heading into the 3rd.

Midway through the 3rd, Barkov gets his 2nd goal of the game to tie the score at 3-3. But with a little over 6 minutes left, Gilbert regains the lead with Burakovsky’s 27th goal of the year. After that, LA controls play but can’t solve Vanacek, but they turn up the pressure in the final minute. 5 Scoring chances in the final minute for LA, but they fail to convert and Gilbert holds on for the 4- road win.

A tough loss for the Great Danes – 41 SOG, a 28-15 chance advantage in the game, and winning 70.5% of the faceoffs, but they come up short.

And we have seen this movie too many times this year – Varlamov is beat 50 seconds into the game by Reinhart, and Connor Murphy scores another, and the Regulators lead 2-0 after one despite LA with an 11-2 chance advantage in the period.

The Great Danes turn up the pressure even more in the 2nd as they outchance CAL 15-3 in the period. The arena erupts when Mark Scheifele apparently gets LA on the board midway through the period. Maybe it was a computer delay on the screen, but as I mark down the score, the text reads “play under review, goal disallowed, the puck never crossed the goal line”. UGH – this does not appear to be our night. Finally LA scores, with Giroux scoring on the power play at 15:27 of the 2nd. So LA trails at this point 2-1 despite a dominant 26-3 scoring chance advantage. Varlamov then makes his first save of a scoring chance with 3:27 left in period 2, and Tyson Jost then takes a 5-minute boarding penalty that carries over to the 3rd period.

After killing off the major penalty, LA ties the game at 2 when Chandler Stephenson scores 4 minutes into the period. About a minute later, Stephenson breaks free on a breakaway, but Grubauer makes the big save. And a minute after that, Connor Murphy takes a long slapshot and sucks all of the life out of the arena when Varlamov can’t stop it. So California regains the lead at 3-2.

California tightens up defensively, but LA still is getting their chances and keep coming. And with the goalie pulled, Nikolaj Ehlers ties the game with just 37 seconds left – WOW! One more scoring chance for LA with 20 seconds left, but Grubauer stops Nylander with 20 seconds left, so we go to overtime.

In OT, the drama continues when Jeremy Lauzon gets a breakaway, is hauled down, and is awarded a penalty shot. Varlamov makes the save (glad it was Lauzon with zero goals on the season who had the PS), and it’s onto a shootout!

California goes first, and Reinhart scores to give CAL the advantage, but Barkov scores to even it up. Huberdeau is then stopped, and Ehlers scores to give LA the advantage. When Mark Stone does not convert, the Danes come away with the dramatic 4-3 OT win.

Mixed emotions in this one – the Great Danes are happy to get the 2 points, but with a 49-33 shot advantage and a 38-12 scoring chance advantage, they are also disappointed to only pick up a single point in the standings versus California. But we were also 37 seconds from a regulation loss that would have really hurt, so we’ll certainly take the result.

John Klingberg’s seventh goal of the season came with 16 seconds remaining in regulation and lifted Cincinnati to a 4-3 win over Charlotte. John Carlson added two goals and an assist for the Inferno. Bryan Rust added a pair of assists for the Buzzards.

Cam Talbot picked up the win with 30 saves, while Ilya Sorokin took the loss with 31 stops.

2nd period Chicago has their way, and gets goals from Kyrou and Larking. The lead is flipped in favor of the home team, 3-2.

3rd period is controlled by the goalies. A Wennberg penalty late sets the Braves up for the equalizer, but a fumbles puck leads to a breakaway for Chabot and he scores the insurance goal, 4-2. A pulled goalie sets Yellowknife up and they cut the lead to one, but run out of time.

Final Chicago 4, Yellowknife 3

1st star Dadonov 1G 2pts
2nd – Kyrou 1G 2pts
3rd – Rantanen 1G 2pts

No love for the shortie by Chabot to clinch it.

Toledo capitalizes on a PP oppotunity early in the 2nd with a goal from Robertson. Chicago with the answer 6 minutes later, Palat with the score. No more action and its 2-1.

Chicago with a little cushion early in the 3rd on the powerplay, Dahlin with the score. 3-1 Chicago. Chicago with the rope a dope, letting Toledo shoot themselves silly, 18 SOG in the period. Finally a van Riemsdyk shot cuts it to 1 with 59 ticks left on the clock. With a pulled goalie, the Walleye turn if over in the wrong place and Dadonov makes them pay with an empty netter to kill the comeback.

Final Chicago 4, Toledo 2

1st star – Kyrou 1G 2pts
2nd – Robertson 1G 2pts
3rd van Riemsdyk 1G 2pts

Chicago continues to control things with 2 early goals in the 2nd, DeBrincat and Roy push the lead out to 3. The door opens for Toledo with an Edmundson penalty. Barrie continues his assault on the scoring race with a PP goal, and the lead is cut to 2, 3-1 Chicago as we go to the 3rd.

Another penalty by Chicago results in van Riemdyk cutting the lead to 1, and we have a game. Just 3 minutes later its Pete with his first goal in 40 games, and we are tied at 3. Defenses hold the rest of the period and we got to OT.

Both teams with oppotunites in OT, but its Hoffman who makes it pay off with a goal 3:28 in to avoid the dreaded shootout.

Final – Toledo 4, Chicago 3 OT

A penalty late in the 1st carries to the 2nd, and Dowd keeps it from wasting away, as he scores just 42 seconds into the period, tying the game at 2. 5 minutes later, its Bailey with a rare goal from him to recapture the lead 3-2 Walleye.

Yellowknife gets all juiced up on another penalty by Lafrenierre, and for the 2nd time tonight, while he watches from the sin bin, Yellowknife ties the game. Its 3-3 with 17 minutes left. Toledo answers just 3 minutes later when Robertson finds an opening. 4-3 with 14 minutes to go. In spite of 3 Toledo penalties down the wire, the PK unit stands tall to save the day, and the W, as the Walleye flop to a toght 4-3 win.

Final Toledo 4, Yellowknife 3

1st star – Robertson 1G 2pts
2nd – BAiley 1G
3rd – Kempe 1G

Lafreniere gets his 1st goal of his career to push the lead to 3, 1 minute into the 2nd. Middle of the period, the Raccoons explode for 2 goals in 25 seconds as the Walleye fall asleep, and Suzuki and Hyman score quickly. Now 3-2 Walleye, and they are gasping for air. 4 minutes later its Pageau with some help as he gets and insurance goal and the crowd breathes a little easier. 4-2 at the end of 2.

Toledo, with sloppy play, 3 consecutive minors in the first 10 minutes. Once again its the PK units to the rescue. And in the 3rd and final kill, its Lindell with a steal and breakaway to get him a shortie and put the game away 5-2

1st star – Hoffman 1G
2nd – Lareniere 1G
3rd – Lindell 1G

In Overtime Farabee (15) gets his second goal of the game 40 second in to give the Storm the win

After Dustin Brown scored a tying-goal for Cincinnati with 56 seconds left in the second that knotted the game at two apiece, the goalies (Inferno netminder/Charlotte killer Connor Hellebuyck and Buzzards goalie Chris Driedger) took over and both teams went 25 minutes, including during the three-on-three overtime, without scoring. The Buzzards outshot Cincinnati 37-29 in the contest and fired 11 of the 16 total shots in the scoreless third period.

Hellebuyck, who finished with 35 saves, stopped Charlotte’s Brad Marchand and Carter Verhaeghe in the shootout while Max Pacioretty and Alex Tuch each converted.

Cincinnati struck first in the contest on a Tyler Toffoli goal 11 minutes in; Pavel Zacha and Mitch Marner answered with second period goals before Brown knotted the game.

Three stars:
Star 1: CHA Zacha 1 G
Star 2: CHA Marner 1 G
Star 3: CIN Toffoli 1 G

Ryan O’Reilly sparked Thunder Bay with two goals in regulation, including on the power play 4:42 into the final period that had put the Nor’westers into a 3-3 tie, as Thunder Bay kept rallying. Jacob Slavin shined defensively for the Nor’westers with nine blocks and Jonathan Bernier captured the win with 29 saves in goal.

Three stars (all Thunder Bay):
1. Landeskog 1 G, 4 Pts
2. O’Reilly 2 G
3. Eriksson Ek 1 G, 2 Pts

In short, there will be a TON of cap flexibility this offseason along with the hard decisions that accompany that.